i so d Su n s e s n o et lat Students reflect, prepare for fasting in school after two years of fasting at home
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or the past two years, Ramadan for Muslim students looked like waking up extra early before sunrise in order to get a quick, filling meal in. Then for some, sleeping for most of the day so the time would pass quickly. Afterwards, they would break their fast with their loved ones and stay up all night celebrating another successful day of fasting and eating to their heart’s content before starting the routine all over again. This year, however, will be a different experience due to school being in-person again. “I wish people knew about the feeling of Ramadan,” senior Tahaa Munir said. “The excitement of going to the Masjid every night to pray, going to eat early in the morning with your friends, the anticipation of breaking your fast with the people you love. It’s something you can only understand if you participate.” According to the Muslim’s prophet, Muhammad, the purpose of Ramadan is to refrain from eating and performing malicious deeds, and it is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It lasts from sunrise to sunset each day over the course of a full lunar cycle. The imam at AlHussain Mosque, Shamaas Nyazee, stated that Ramadan has three prevalent aspects behind it. “First, Ramadan is a month in which the Qur’an was revealed,” Imam Nyazee said. “Therefore, it’s a celebration of the Qur’an, and that’s why we recite it so often. Secondly, it involves fasting, which is there as spiritual training and to disconnect ourselves from the
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world’s leads and connect ourselves to the spiritual needs. Also, [Ramadan includes] staying away from social ills and from talking bad about others. I think a lot of it is just self-control, self-restraint and being able to curb our desires.” While Ramadan’s purpose and meaning has many different features, it is a common misconception that the only characteristic is Muslims go the entire month without food or water. Not only is abstaining from food and water not the sole reason behind the holy month, but Muslims do break their fast (known as iftar) once the sun sets. “I remember as a kid, I was fasting in high school, and I told [one of my friends] about Ramadan,” Imam Nyazee said. “[My friend] said, ‘That’s fascinating, you don’t eat or drink anything the entire month?’ I said, ‘No, that’s not even humanly possible.’ So a lot of people have a misconception about the time and whether we’re allowed to eat at all.” Imam Nyazee puts further emphasis on the importance of the spiritual part of Ramadan. Not many people are aware of the reasoning behind abstinence, which is to focus on the relation to religion and God. More than anything else, Ramadan is an opportunity for Muslims to have a full month to reconnect to their roots. “I wish more people knew the spiritual side of Ramadan rather than only the fact that we fast,” sophomore Salma Moussaif said. “I wish they knew why we fast, which
is to deepen our relationship with God, practice more prayers and give more charity during this month.” The sense of community arises when fellow Muslims endure the same hardships and journey through Ramadan. This allows for encouragement from peers. According to board member of the Fishers AlHuda mosque, Mountaha Yasin, the AlHuda mosque has already started Ramadan-related programs. “[I’m excited to] see how our community comes together for the whole month,” Munir said. “While Fishers has strong Muslim representation that is tight-knit, we especially come together at Ramadan. Aside from the nightly prayers, we come together to break our fasts, learn about our religion and raise funds for Muslims worldwide.” However, due to the effects of the pandemic, the usual Ramadan traditions have been put on hold for the last two years. Praying in the mosque was limited and visiting family to celebrate and eat together was rare, which stripped away the community Ramadan typically brought. “Like everything else, it feels good to be back,” Munir said. “There hasn’t been any big Ramadan events that have occurred since the new masjid opened, and our community is excited to host iftars and other events for Muslims and nonMuslims alike.” On the other hand, fasting at home for the past two Ramadans did have its advantages.
Design by Malak Samara. April 2022
